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Social Support And The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic Among A Cohort Of People Living With Hiv (Plwh) In Western Kenya, Adel Mburia-Mwalili, Karla D. Wagner, Edith Kamaru Kwobah, Lukoye Atwoli, Maurice Aluda, Brianna Simmons, Jayne Lewis-Kulzer, Suzanne Goodrich, Kara Wools-Kaloustian, Jennifer L. Syvertsen

Internal Medicine, East Africa

As coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic in 2020, countries around the world implemented various prevention strategies, such as banning of public and social gatherings, restriction in movement, etc. These efforts may have had a deleterious effect on already vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV (PLWH). PLWH were concerned about contracting COVID-19, the impact of COVID-19 on their social networks that provide social support, and the continued availability of antiretroviral medications during the pandemic. In addition, their mental health may have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore pandemic-related concerns among a …